Athletics: Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem at Poland Diamond League hits block - here's why

The much-awaited clash between Olympic medallists Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem in the upcoming Diamond League may not happen, following a recent surgery on Nadeem’s calf muscle. The Indian and Pakistani javelin stars were set to compete against each other in Silesia, Poland on August 16, marking their first meeting since the 2024 Paris Olympics final. In that memorable event, Nadeem won gold with a stunning throw of 92.97m, while Chopra took silver with a best effort of 89.45m. The duo were also expected to face off in Switzerland next month. However, Nadeem’s coach Salman Butt, currently in England with the athlete, revealed that the reigning Olympic champion is uncertain to compete in both events. The focus, Butt said, is on returning fully fit for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. “He (Nadeem) is more focussed on preparing for the World Championships in Tokyo in September which is why he decided to have the surgery on his calf muscle which had been bothering for a while now,” Butt said, as quoted by PTI. “I don't think they will compete against each other until the World event,” he added. The procedure was performed by Dr Ali Bajwa at Spire Hospital in Cambridge. Nadeem is now undergoing rehabilitation in London. Butt further stated that depending on his recovery, Nadeem could possibly take part in one event before the Tokyo Worlds. “The World Championships are very important for Arshad (Nadeem) as he finished with a silver behind Neeraj (Chopra) in Budapest in 2023,” said the coach. Nadeem, 27, has been in excellent form, having also won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea earlier this year.